While product announcements are always a major asset for the sales and marketing team, they are not always viewed as significant by the media. However, in the last few years, this type of news has started to make a comeback with the media, and 10Fold clients are securing more coverage with product updates. In addition to naming press releases a valuable resource for writing articles, many journalists (76% according to Cision) say they want companies to send them press releases and news announcements.
Every week, journalists are bombarded with dozens, if not hundreds, of irrelevant or difficult to interpret pitches. And combine that with the fact that journalists do not have time to interview and verify the intentions of the company making the announcement, many simply rely on official written documents, such as press releases to determine which news stories they will cover.
Distributing a well-written product announcement that is picked up by the media helps companies establish and build credibility with reporters and buyers. However, not all product releases are created equal. Let’s explore what makes the most compelling announcement.
Quoting a Customer
Including a quote from a customer can go a long way in enhancing the product’s credibility. This is because it provides clear third-party validation to potential buyers that your product is shipping and useful. While this may seem like table stakes, it is actually very important in a world where companies announce products that have yet to be developed or used by a customer. By having the customer articulate your product’s use case in a compelling, relevant way, you can leverage your customer’s brand authority to boost your own.
Check Your Timing
If you want maximum coverage for product announcements, avoid releasing your press release on holidays. Send reporters your pitch under embargo one to two weeks before the launch date to give them plenty of time to plan and draft a story before the release goes live. This helps you to secure coverage in near real-time to get the attention you want on announcement day.
Enlist the Support of an Analyst
Analysts devote their time to researching specific industries. They are experts about an industry and often talk with prospects and competitors. They can quickly spot feature relevancy and how your new product alleviates pain points. Placing your product in an analyst report, or getting an analyst quote to use in a press release or marketing collateral, can help boost brand reputation.
The media landscape continues to evolve as their readers evolve with technology changes and economic fluctuations. To sustain a valuable news resource and keep high volumes of traffic coming to their publication, they will look for the most efficient ways to develop a competitive edge. Well written product news that speaks to customer pain points, quotes an analyst and / or a customer and is delivered with enough time to write a strong summary of the news, will be most likely to get the media attention it deserves.